AfterDawn: Tech news

Android malware peddler arrested

Written by James Delahunty @ 23 Oct 2012 11:44 User comments (5)

Android malware peddler arrested French man arrested for mobile malware.
The 20 year old reportedly worked out of his parents basement, where he wrote rogue Android apps that came laced with malicious code. The malware sent premium SMS messages, which affected over 17,000 victims, and netted the alleged author about half a million euros since 2011.

The malware also stole usernames and passwords from gaming and gambling sites accessed by the owners.

He admitted his guilt shortly after his arrest, but stressed that his actions were not motivated by greed, but rather by a love for computer technology.

Rogue apps are becoming a big problem for Android. They mimic other popular apps, such as Instagram, Skype and Angry Birds, but they come loaded with extra nasties, often leaving the owner of the handset with a huge bill for premium SMS.

Previous Next  

5 user comments

123.10.2012 13:03

wow and android is safe my butt

223.10.2012 13:41
SmaryJerry
Unverified new user

Originally posted by megadunderhead:
wow and android is safe my butt
It's probably not safe, but it's just about the same as any PC or Mac, or jailbroken iPad. If you get your applications from suspicious sites on any of them you'll end up with a virus.

324.10.2012 11:43

Originally posted by megadunderhead:
wow and android is safe my butt
Not the safest, but undeniably the freest. Key is to not be stupid. If you want a nice safe house where nothing will hurt you, move to a padded cell.
This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 24 Oct 2012 @ 11:44

424.10.2012 13:12

Couldn't find the email from pc world or wherever it came from,mentioning security issues with android,not so much the OS just the apps mining data,the link below describes what i originally read


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/...o=feeds-newsxml

524.10.2012 19:27

Quote:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/...o=feeds-newsxml
didn't read

Comments have been disabled for this article.

Latest news

VLC hits milestone: over 5 billion downloads VLC hits milestone: over 5 billion downloads (16 Mar 2024 4:31)
VLC Media Player, the versatile video-software powerhouse, has achieved a remarkable feat: it has been downloaded over 5 billion times.
1 user comment
Sideloading apps to Android gets easier, as Google settles its lawsuit Sideloading apps to Android gets easier, as Google settles its lawsuit (19 Dec 2023 11:09)
Google settled its lawsuit in September 2023, and one of the settlement terms was that the way applications are installed on Android from outside the Google Play Store must become simpler. In the future, installing APK files will be easier.
8 user comments
Roomba Combo j7+ review - Clever trick allows robot vacuum finally to tackle home with rugs and carpets Roomba Combo j7+ review - Clever trick allows robot vacuum finally to tackle home with rugs and carpets (06 Jun 2023 9:19)
Roomba Combo j7+ is the very first Roomba model to combine robot vacuum with mopping features. And Roomba Combo j7+ does all that with a very clever trick, which tackles the problem with mopping and carpets. But is it any good? We found out.
Neato, the robot vacuum company, ends its operations Neato, the robot vacuum company, ends its operations (02 May 2023 3:38)
Neato Robotics has ceased its operations. American robot vacuum pioneer founded in 2005 has finally called it quits and company will cease its operations and sales. Only a skeleton crew will remain who will keep the servers running until 2028.
5 user comments
How to Send Messages to Yourself on WhatsApp How to Send Messages to Yourself on WhatsApp (20 Mar 2023 1:25)
The world's most popular messaging platform, Meta-owned WhatsApp has enabled sending messages to yourself. While at first, this might seem like an odd feature, it can be very useful in a lot of situations. ....
18 user comments

News archive